Celebrate International Yoga Day AND Hike Naked Day #multitasking

June 21 marks the first day of summer. Words like scorching, sweating, sweltering, and sunburn are part of our daily conversations. It’s time to get away, preferably someplace quiet and cool. Maybe a short hike through the woods to a secluded spot. You’re not picky, but a nearby waterfall spilling into a refreshing pool would be nice.

If you’re heading outdoors to get away from the craziness and chaos and heat, you might be in for a surprise. June 21 is International Yoga Day AND Hike Naked Day.

International Yoga Day?

Yoga has been a popular form of exercise, meditation and relaxation for a long time, so I can understand why people would want to dedicate a day to Yoga-ing. I’m not one of them, but I get it. I’ve spent years unintentionally practicing the corpse pose. However, others are more difficult. Mastering contortions like the Half Moon pose requires an enviable level of ankle and leg strength. The Cow-Face pose demands so much flexibility, Gumby would need to loosen up first.

Even people like me who lack the flexibility and patience to give yoga a serious try can enjoy it. Within a few minutes of watching a crowd of motivated people assume the Downward-Facing Dog pose, I was convinced of yoga’s potential as a spectator sport.

Hike Naked Day?

Yes. It’s really a thing.

Until last year, I would have chalked this up as another hiker’s urban myth, like “the Appalachian Trail in Virginia is flat,” or “it’s possible to hike the White Mountains in New Hampshire without thinking you’re gonna die at least once.” Now I know, it’s not only a recognized means of celebrating the new season, it’s actually an Appalachian Trail Tradition.

Who would want to hike naked? Probably not a sane person. In polite society, I’ve heard that public nakedness is frowned upon. In the city, it’s called public indecency, and there are apparently fines. However, out in the woods, the rules are a bit different. Nonconformity is the norm, nature is a traveling companion, and adventure is a career choice.

Beware multitaskers!

This is probably good advice for most situations; however, it’s particularly relevant for June 21. In the interest of efficiency, multitaskers make bizarre combinations, some with unexpected consequences. Drinking Jack Daniel’s while writing, eating chili while watching Orange is the New Black, and chewing gum while walking are a few examples of multitasking that just don’t work. I shudder to imagine what a multitasker would do if they tried to celebrate International Yoga day and Hike Naked Day at the same time. Even if we ignored likely rug burns and muscle sprains, the psychological trauma perpetrated on unsuspecting hikers hoping for a brief reprieve in nature is just too high.

I don’t have the expertise to make recommendations about ways to celebrate International Yoga Day (aside from keeping it COMPLETELY separate from Hike Naked Day). However, I can offer a few words of caution for those that might want to join Hiked Naked Day:

Summer means bug season. Bugs are perfectly content to swarm our mouth and ears and nose, but any hiker that willingly exposes their otherwise protected nether regions is opening a glorious new bug buffet. It’s All-You-Can-Eat, and not the good kind.

Stripping off sweat-soaked shirts and shorts feels wonderful at first. The wisp of breeze you didn’t even notice before now feels like air-conditioning. The small of your back is dry for the first time in weeks. That not-so-fresh odor that makes city-slicker’s eyes water is gone, leading you to suspect it really was just your clothes after all. But this also means the sun finally gets to visit those places the sun don’t shine. Slather up those sun-shy spots with plenty of sunscreen. A sunburned ass is no laughing matter.

If you’re going to celebrate Hike Naked Day as a team sport, make sure everyone knows the rules. Everyone in the group needs to clearly communicate their boundaries. This means no surprise sword fights, flashing tourists, or flash photography.

Even if you’re celebrating Hike Naked Day as a “team” sport with your hiking buddies, it’s not a spectator sport. The Trails will be busy with families, day-hikers, and section-hikers. Aunt Bea or little Peggy Sue don’t need to see you in your birthday suit. Put those sweaty, smelly clothes back on if you’re near a trail head or town.

What happens on Hiked Naked Day, stays on Hiked Naked Day. It’s perfectly reasonable to make fun of the physiologic effects the cold pond had on your hiking buddy, but it’s poor form to bring it back up again weeks later when you’re back in the real world.

Hike Naked Day is a brief time to shed the constraints of civilization, to celebrate the coming of summer, and for those like me who are pathologically introverted, a challenge to proudly (but privately) shed the façade that I use to separate myself from the world.

However you choose to celebrate the first day of summer, I hope it marks the beginning of a wonderful new season!

Update: A friend on Facebook kindly reminded me that today is also National Selfie Day. I feel like the “Special Day” people are really starting to get their act together.

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As a vivid image thinker I am, I am now wondering what to do with the combination of hiking naked and doing yoga.

All I can say is go and escape the cities heat for a bit. A few days ago i stood close to waterfall near the town of Ouray. Taking all natures beauty in while feeling the cold mist on me made me more zen than any yoga practice could ever do. It was the heat of and emptied my mind.

Im not sure if being stuck on a steep hillside a day after that, holding onto tiny trees to prevent falling while feeling the mixt emotion coming up of hysterical laughing because of the odd situation and crying because i was scared made me zen, but it was still worth every step.

The rewards of sleeping in the forest under a perfectly clear milkyway, a circle of trees surounding that view and shooting stars as a cherries on the cake , were breathtaking.

This sounds like a great trip Didi, even if portions were a bit more extreme then you’d expected. For me, these are the get-aways that stick with me the longest. And it sounds like this will be one of those trips for you as well- even if you didn’t get the chance to hike naked;)

I remember ur Zumba post now! If I head down to Australia, maybe I’ll have to check it out. But I’ve gotta warn you, I’ve been known to trip over peebles while hiking, and launch myself from treadmills that are tired on my marathon training sessions.

I hate those friggin black flies! When I think about Armageddon or shopping for holidays (both are equally catastrophic in my book), I imagine swarms of these indestructible villains. yuck-makes me shudder just thinking about it.

And I’m pretty sure DEET is the new tequila shooter for these guys. I prefer hairspray and lighters…

Hehehe I know what you mean. Pretty sure others feel the same about me. Hike Naked Day is one of those days where all sorts of hideous beasts can be spotted. Kinda like Halloween, but with more smells.

Well, that might explain why I’ve been seeing so many biking events recently. And speaking of multitasking, MilfordStreet recently shared a post on a donut biking event. That’s the kind of multitasking I can get behind?

I hope you don’t think less of me Brad but I hiked nearly naked last year. I didn’t remove my socks and shoes. And of course my hat and pink sunglasses stayed on as well, but they don’t count because these only come off in emergencies.

It was one of those bucket list items I had to check off the list. Don’t know if I’m a better person for it… but it was good to even out my hiker tan lines for a few weeks.

I saw a bunch of naked people riding a 15 person bicycle through the city streets the other day, and all I could think is, ‘Those poor seats! Ewww!!’ Luckily I was far enough away that I didn’t see any low-lying fruit, but think I might still be slightly scarred from what my eyes can never unsee. So, spare little Peggy Sue and stick to walking around the house naked, as I do, so no one gets hurt. And as far as yoga goes, if you are going to do it, it must be done with baby goats!! GOAT YOGA IS THE BEST! 🙂

hehehe I know right! I saw some video from a Goat Yoga session on a Jenny Lawson FB group I’m in (Bloggess Pals). It looks awesome.

And I can’t tell you how much I hate hearing about bicycle abuse. Who’s looking out for these hard working machines of burden? I think it’s called PBSD (Posterior Bicycle Sweat Disorder). Somebody really needs to get a support group started.

hehehe I can’t speak to the naked yoga selfies personally, but I do know that Hikers doing yoga on naked hiking day really is a thing (unfortunately).
Nobody needs to see a hiker 6 days out from a shower trying to assume some bizarre contortion without at least a layer or two of clothing to separate them from our eyes.

I have seen people walk on nude beaches. I have seen people do yoga in nature. For some reason your mention of multi-tasking and downward facing dog does not create enjoyable images! Happy summer solstice! From an evening in Reykjavik on the 19th to an art and music festival in Oakland, CA ltoday, we are having busy times.

I can’t do yoga because of arthritis issues, although it sounds fascinating. In terms of who would want to hike naked, you’ve read my blog enough to know the answer is “pretty well everyone I come into contact with”. Also in Canada, you’re likely to get slapped it you complain about the heat after our long winters:-)

I did not even know about the Hike Naked Day till I read it on another blogger’s post (just before yours). Handy set of tips for potential naked hikers. And whatever you say, poor Peggy Sue, she will never be the same again. I did not feel the same again after spotting sunbathers in the buff in a part of the Tiergarten in Berlin.

Yup, the topless/nude sunbathing in Europe was a bit of a shocker for me at first as well. I’d classify this as another one of those “spectator sports” that is likely to cause more injury to the spectator than the participants.

‘Note to self… don’t read Gabe’s posts in a public place such as a cafe…’
Hello Gabe, yes, a little reminder for me after giggling and smiling my way through your wonderful post!

I loved the thought that downward dog is a spectator sport ! Indeed, as a member of a yoga class myself, we must all look quite ridiculous from someone watching on ??
Thank you for a really enjoyable post. Oh, and, enjoy your summer if you can ???

If Portland can have a naked bike ride day, hiking naked sounds comparatively comfortable. Not that you’d catch me trying either, unless you first found me in a permanent corpse pose and had a nasty sense of humor.

Hahaha, oh my gosh, I laughed so hard! And I was also going to remind you that it is also international selfie day – coincidence, you think??? I have a friend that looks up and marks in her calendar every single special day that the internet insists exists and lets us know when her favourites are coming up. I may start jumping on the imaginary holiday bandwagon if someone ever makes up a National Spinster and Dog Mama Day.

Alas, I am reading this a day after summer solstice and have missed the opportunity to hike naked and do yoga. Whew! Thankfully I did not witness anyone else participating in this event. Instead I reveled in the light up in Maine for hours and hours.

Well, now I have a mental image of a bunch of naked hikers rampaging through the woods! But at least it’s better than visualizing a room full of people doing yoga poses while nude.
I’m not much of a hiker (I hike to my car from my house, and that’s about it), but I have taken yoga classes. They’re not so bad until the room gets really full, and the people doing those downward dog poses are just a few inches in front of you. And while doing yoga in clothes is infinitely better than doing it naked, I can say from first-hand observation that it’s not a good idea to do it while wearing a black thong underneath white, see-through yoga pants either. That’s another image stuck in my mind…..

Good call Bel.
It was also national selfie day. Social media friends were joining in the festivities. Fortunately, nearly all were taken in black-out conditions. Midnight on a moonless night, with NO ONE around. Sounds like a decent start…

June 21st is my late sister’s birthday and I celebrated it without thinking ONCE about selfie-naked hiking/yoga things. I’ll have to remember to rectify that oversight next year.

I’m pretty sure that when the angels gathered to sing Happy Birthday they planned on having entertainment after she blew out her candles – and I like to keep those angels r-e-a-l-l-y pleased with me.
xx,
mgh
(Madelyn Griffith-Haynie – ADDandSoMuchMORE dot com)
ADD/EFD Coach Training Field founder; ADD Coaching co-founder
“It takes a village to transform a world!”

That’s a beautiful sentiment- celebrating your late sister’s birthday.
And I wouldn’t dream of questioning your choice of celebratory style, especially when it comes to appeasing the angels. You’re surely more qualified to assess the tastes of the angels 😉
Have a great weekend Madelyn!

How did I miss BOTH?! Coincidentally, I was just trying to convince some friends last night to try goat yoga with me. Not a lot of takers but enough that I think it may happen:). And Chicago recently had a Bike Naked ride. Motto was Less Gas, More Ass. That made me smile . . .

Thanks for liking my post, The Solitary Sign. It’s great to find fellow-bloggers whose writings open up new horizons, and I’ll now be dipping into your site…..love the name, Almost Unsalvagable…..emphasis on the first word?